Journalist David Ornstein has claimed that Shaun Derry could potentially return to Crystal Palace's coaching staff, having been recently dismissed by Patrick Vieira months prior to the Frenchman's sacking.

What's going on at Crystal Palace?

Vieira was dismissed following a disastrous run of results which has seen Palace fail to score in their last four Premier League games, while the Eagles are currently winless in 2023.

There had been murmurings of discontent behind the scenes, and Vieira's recent controversial decision to remove former Palace player Derry from his coaching staff may not have gone down well with others at the club.

Now Vieira is gone, there is a chance that Derry could return as Palace aim to appoint a new manager during the international break.

Speaking on NBC Sports, Ornstein revealed that Vieira's exit could open the door to any coaches who departed during his reign for a potential return.

He said: "The people inside the club are treating the next 11 games as cup finals, and that would suggest that the hierarchy - so we're talking Steve Parish and his American co-owners, John Textor, Josh Harris and David Blitzer - view this as likely a short-term solution, and then they'll come back to the bigger decision in the summer of what's to come for the future.

"And that is why Paddy McCarthy, the youth coach at Crystal Palace, will be taking charge for the Arsenal game on Sunday. We may see some other coaches who have departed Palace, such as Shaun Derry, who Vieira unilaterally decided to get rid of during the season to the surprise of many higher up the club, come back at some point. Let's see on that."

Should Palace have sacked Vieira?

The sacking does look harsh given that Palace are 12th in the league following a difficult run of fixtures, but the form was dire enough that the club hierarchy was concerned about a relegation battle.

Vieira's decision to remove Derry from his staff may have been one of the deciding factors given that it was not one that the rest of the club's executives will have agreed with, judging by Ornstein's claims.

Derry played for the club across two separate spells between 2002 and 2008, and the decision to dismiss someone with such pedigree at Selhurst Park was a controversial one. And with the form crumbling as it did, as well as this discontent behind the scenes, the club may have felt that this was the right time for a change. However, it remains to be seen what good reinstating Derry to his post would do for the club's fortunes.